18 November 2017

2017 Round Up Review Part 12

Welcome to a round up review! Similar to
the Round-Up posts I put up earlier in the year, I’m going to be posting some
bullet point reviews, sort of akin to the one's that you get in magazines,
short and to the point. I complete my first one of these reviews around
last Christmas, mainly due to the volume of albums that were still left to
review at that time of year, the lack of time to review them all and this is
happening for similar reasons. Basically, there is only so much time available
to a one-man team, I cannot complete the full detailed blog that I usually post
on here, as I need to work to feed myself, look after my lady and generally
keep a roof over my head. So, the list of albums that I want to review,
promised to review, need to review has grown beyond my control. At any
given moment, it tends to hit north of 100 with ease and going forward, I will
need to get that down with these sorts of blogs. Now, I will be breaking
these round ups down into batches of ten, they will be minus the normal link to
purchase of stream the albums (due to space) but you will be able to find these
online very easily (legal links, remember - this is not that type of
blog). I will be using the same introduction to each of these blog, if
only to save more time. Thanks for reading - Eddie.

Prong – Zero Days

Prong seem to be on a resurgence these days,
coming back each year with a top draw album.Zero Days keeps up that fine
vein of form with riffs that sounds like battle cries, bass that could bring
down any door and a drumming performance that is best described as manic.It is a great metal album, nothing more and
nothing less.

8 out of ten – Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my time, money and heart.

Top track – Zero Days

Powerflo – Powerflo

If you like groove and rap metal, Powerflo might be one of your best
albums of the last ten years.This
sounds like the band found a copy of the Judgement
Night OST, and they are using this as a template for their sound.For what it’s, they sound alright, but for me
it is a sound that has been going for so many year, and this doesn’t bring
anything new to the scene.

5 out of ten – Not for everyone, but played well.

Top track – Resistance

Saint Etienne – Home Counties

Home Counties is a poor record, it’s a reminder
of the fate which comes to all people, that youth will one day be replaced by
the desire to find danger in other ways. So, are there any positives at
the end of it all? To be honest, not really and I take no pleasure in
writing those words. Home Counties is not a bad album by any stretch of the
imagination, that right is still reserved for the latest Liam Gallagher album.

2 out of ten – If only there was some quality control.

Top track – Out of my Mind

Lonely Robot – The Big Dream

Lonely Robot released one of my former
colleague’s favourite albums back in 2015, with their first record Please Come Home.Out of
my Mind continues in a similar manner to its predecessor, it is a slice of
modern progressive rock with all the thrills and spills of the genre.It is a good record, but for me it feels a
tad restrictive in places.There is more
to come from this act, but as of right now, it feels as if they need to let go
of something, as if they are holding back.Maybe that is what the cover is hinting at, only time will tell.

7 out of ten – This is good and worth checking out

Top track – Symbolic

Prophets of Rage – Prophets of Rage

Some supergroups have a weight of expectation
laid upon them which is impossible to meet, I think that’s what has happened
with Prophets of Rage on their self-titled debut.You have members of bands which have defined
both rock & rap coming together, their collective fan bases are obviously
gonna be expect something amazing.Prophets of Rage could be perceived as a
victim of the previous success of the band members previous projects, you might
be expecting too much from it.However,
the issue with this one is that it is average, middle of the road Alternative
Rock that is locked in a time warp. The messages are on spot, the delivery is not.

4 out of ten – Well, it's alright, but still....

Top track – Hail to the Chief

Jessie Ware – Glasshouse

We find Jessie Ware in a new place with
Glasshouse, a change in her family situation have given her a new perspective
on life.This is a mature third album
from Ms. Ware, it feels as if the personal touch has been added to the record
here and it is rather good.This is a
surprise as it has more producers and songwriters than in the average army
unit.For me, Jessie Ware has released a
great pop record here, I think family life suits her, she has also bucked the
trend of bad multi-producer albums!

8 out of ten – Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my time, money and heart.

Top track – Selfish Love

Hanging Garden – I Am Becoming

Helsinki natives Hanging Garden specialise in
doom laden metal, with massive riffs, OTT vocals and growls to scare the dead
back to life.There is nothing subtle
about I Am Becoming, they have gone
for broken with songs like “Our Dark Design” and “From Iron Shores”.For me, it is a decent, if not spectacular
doom record which have some good moments.Sadly, it is forgettable as well, which is not what you want from a doom
album.

4 out of ten – Well, it's alright, but still...

Top track – From Iron Shores

Dead Cross – Dead Cross

In the space of ten songs, which include a
bizarre cover version of the Bauhaus classic “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, Dead Cross
have created a unique record, where each song is an intense rollercoaster ride
which does not let up from beginning to end. When you play Dead Cross,
you play it to as a primal release that you experience with it. Once you
start with “Seizure and Desist”, it is probably best to power all the way to
“Church of the Motherfucker”.This is
not to get it all over with, just because it is an album that works perfectly
as a whole and not as a load of individual tracks. Dead Cross
is not the sound of a “Supergroup” – it is the sound of lunacy made
flesh. I adore it for all the right reasons and it makes me so happy when
it is on, this probably tells you more about my state of mind than I care to
admit.

9 out of ten – Almost perfect, almost…..

Top Track – Divine Faith

Gary Numan – Savages (Songs from a Broken World)

The older Gary Numan gets, the more relevant he
becomes to modern industrial music.For
instance, the Horror’s most recent album is basically a Numan album in disguise
(this is a compliment by the way).But
Mr Numan cannot be accused of resting on his laurels, if anything in recent
years he has released his most amazing work.A lot of people might go back to his early 80’s work, but it seems as if
his eyes are still looking towards the horizon.On Savages (Songs from a Broken
World), the ground work which was started on Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind) is explored in further detail,
with the theme of global disaster and emotional ruin being considered.I love “My Name is Ruin” and “What God
Intended”, but I really could have named any of the tracks from this
album.Long may this rich vein of form
continue for Mr. Numan!

8 out of ten – Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my time, money and heart.

Top track – My Name is Ruin

Anna of the North – Lovers

Lovers
is the debut album from Norwegian Dream-pop act, Anna of the North (aka Anna
Lotterud), it has been a long time coming as the first single from this album
in 2016.I have heard a lot of people
raving about this, and I cannot say it’s a poor album.However, it is not the second coming of Miike
Snow in female form, it is a simple and well-crafted Dream-pop album.However, as nice as the songs sound when they
are on, I struggle to remember much about them afterwards.For a pop album, that is worrying.The exception to the rule is “Someone”, that
song is a fantastic pop number.

6 out of ten – Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there.

Welcome to the final round-up review of 2017! Similar to the Round-Up posts I put up earlier in the year, I’m going to be posting some bull...

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Album scoring system

0 - This is proof there is no deity1 - You're really are touching the bottom of the barrel with this one2 - If only there was some quality control3 - It could have been a bit better4 - Well it's alright, but still......5 -Not for everyone but played well6 - Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there7 - This is good and well worth a check8 - Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my money, time and heart9 - Almost perfect....Almost10 - This is proof there is a deity(For albums that are too crazy to be marked)Crazy Cat symbol - This album cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens

Singles/EP Marking System

0 - Only to be listened to by people bless with the gift of being deaf1 - Not so much on the bad that it is bottom of the barrel, but it can see the stuff down there2 - Not bad, not good - so average it is Zen3 - Decent, getting there4 - This is really good, well worth checking out5 - I wish I had extra ears to love this more(For Singles/EPs that are too crazy to mark)Crazy Cat symbol - This release cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens